Vietnam has forbidden the consumption of cats in an effort to encourage their ownership and keep the capital's rat population under control.

But there are still dozens of restaurants serving cat in Hanoi and it is rare to see felines roaming the streets -- most pet-owners keep them indoors or tied up out of fear of cat thieves.

The AFP reporter who wrote that story is named Cat Barton.

A police officer told AFP that seized, smuggled goods are typically destroyed—i.e., in normal circumstances the cats would be killed—but that these particular animals’ fate has not yet been determined. Below, another image of the seized cats.